Numerous compositions and methods for flea control have been developed and tried. Since fleas are an annoying and potentially health threatening pest, the variety of compositions and methods are widely used. Flea populations are much higher in households with pets than they are out of doors. One major reason for this is that carpets provide an ideal breeding ground with controlled temperatures, no predators, and ample food sources. The cycle of flea evolution begins when flea eggs fall off the host animal into the carpet, the animal's bedding, or on the ground. The egg then hatches and emerges as a larva (worm). The larva has three growth periods or instar stages before it changes into an adult, blood-eating insect. It then moves back to the host animal, and the cycle starts over. As long as the carpets, etc. remain untreated, fleas remain a significant problem for home owners. Fleas are extremely hardy pests, and the larvae can survive for significant periods of time on very little food. In addition, since fleas are extremely productive breeders, once established, the flea population can be extremely large and exhibit an essentially continuous development cycle.
Thus, in treating flea infestations, the treatment, composition, or method must exhibit not only an immediate, but a residual effectiveness to be successful. Powerful insecticides which exhibit such residual effectiveness are available, however, their application in a household environment is unacceptable in many cases. In addition, conventional insecticides are increasingly coming under attack for their toxic effects as a result of their tendency to accumulate in organs and tissues of mammals and their adverse effect on the environment. Thus, there exists a need in the art for an insecticidal composition and method of application which exhibits no deleterious effects on either humans, animals or the environment and which exhibits a residual effectiveness to control the developing larvae.
Boron containing compounds have been utilized for many years, either alone or in combination with other compounds in insecticidal formulations. Some examples of insecticides which employ boron containing compounds are shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,930 to Granirer, et al. for an insect killing composition: U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,188 to Page, et al. for natural insecticides employing borax and carob; U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,090 to Brite for a method of preparing an insecticide containing boric acid; and U.S. Pat. No. 490,688 to Smith for an insecticide. While these references are mainly directed to the control of cockroaches and beetles, it is recognized that boron based products have been utilized for many years as insecticidal compositions.
Steltenkamp, U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,683, describes the effectiveness of his invention, as an insect repellant, of N-lower alkyl neoalkanamides of 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the lower alkyl thereof and of 12 to 14 carbon atoms in the neoalkanoyl group. He gives as examples N-methyl- and N-ethyl neotridecanamides. Steltenkamp describes the various ways that his invention may be applied and the insects against which it is active. He states that the long lasting effectiveness of his invention is "for as long as two weeks."
In each of his examples the active repellents listed are N-methyl neotridecanamide and N-ethyl neotridecanamide. All other ingredients are listed as builders. Steltenkamp further describes the builders as "compositions" that "are employed as means for depositing such active compounds onto surfaces to be made repellent to insects."
Steltenkamp describes his invention as an amide that is used for insect repellency. N-Methyl neotridecanamide which is normally liquid is "sufficiently volatile" and can be detected in the air by insects." Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate is a non volatile larvacide that when applied is colorless and odorless. Steltenkamp's teaching is that N-Methyl or N-Ethyl neotridecanamide when broadcast with multiple builders is designed to repel a large variety of insects. Steltenkamp's describes the invention as an insecticide, a killer of the adult specie. In the present invention applications of Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate at the rate of 4 to 12 ounces per gallon in an aqueous solution (warm tap water) primarily targets the larva of the targeted pest.
The teaching of Steltenkamp's Patent is that unlike Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate, a larvacide, the active ingredients N-Methyl and N-Ethyl neotridecanamide found in his repellant/insecticide acts as an adulticide. Steltenkamp in his teachings does not disclose any of the chemical family Boron as an active ingredient of his invention. Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate is an uncommon member of the Boron family.
Workman, U.S. Pat. No 4,374,853 describes his invention as an "insect killing" composition for Ectoparasites, such as fleas that are found on warm blooded animals, i.e. dogs and cats. He further describes his invention as an aqueous antiseptic liquid that contains alcohol and at least one compatible surface active agent. The insect controlling composition is a shampoo containing a high percentage of alcohol, which is the active insecticidal ingredient.
Described in Workman's Patent are "Surface Active Agents and Detergents" that can be found in Volumes 1 and 2 of the literature by Schwartz, Perry and Berch. Workman continues to describe commercially available surfactant components to which his invention adds high amounts of alcohol, preferably ethanol. In his teaching, Workman prescribes the saturation of the animal to be treated with a surfactant/antiseptic solution that contains a 26% to 29% concentration by volume of alcohol. The animal is treated with this solution for up to five minutes and the solution is removed with clean water. Workman's treatment leaves the treated animal free of adult flea infestation. In testing he states that "a gross visual examination two weeks later indicated no fleas or flea residue." Nowhere in his teaching does he describe the long lasting effect of his invention by the introduction of a new adult flea infestation.
Workman's invention does not differ in its application or results from any other known teaching that use similar active ingredients i.e. Pyrethrin, Pyrethroid, Sumethrin, D-Limonene, Royal Penny, Melaleuca Alternifolia, Oil of Cedar, and Rotenone to eliminate flea infestation in warm blooded animals. In each and every invention using these insecticides, the inventor's describe and make a claim that is emulated by Workman. Products that are commercially available under names such as Lamber Kay's--Xenox Flea & Tick Shampoo or Victory Flea & Tick Shampoo, Farnam's--Flea Stop, or Cardinal/De Vos Laboratories--Rid, Flea & Tick Shampoo all recommend the treatment of the premises inhabited by the dog and cat to prevent further flea infestation of the animal. Modern Veterinary Medicine teaches us that there are several categories of flea control products. They are, Pyrethrins (Pyrethroids), Organophosphates, Carbamates, Chlorinated-hydrocarbons, Repellents Botanicals like the citrus based D-Limonene and the derris derived Rotenone. There are also several miscellaneous compounds, like petroleum distillates, insect growth regulators and synergists: i.e. Piperonyl Butoxide. Both Steltenkamp's and Workman's inventions fall into the category of miscellaneous compounds. Each of the inventors employs a petroleum distillate as the active ingredient in their invention.
However, the compositions disclosed in the known prior art and their method of application would not be generally effective for flea control due to factors such as the extremely small size of the flea larvae, the multiplicity of areas in which the flea larvae thrive, and the formulation and application of the insecticidal formulations themselves.